Illinois, USA: Protest Gets Rowdy Outside Representative’s Office

Protesters gathered outside State Rep. Jim Durkin’s office in Western Springs yesterday, hoping to sway him to vote against the marriage equality bill. The Huffington Post reports:

A protest against the same-sex marriage bill awaiting a vote in the Illinois House stayed relatively peaceful Saturday afternoon, save for one physical confrontation outside State Rep. Jim Durkin’s Western Springs office. About 75 protesters from the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) gathered at 915 55th St. from 3-4 p.m. to oppose what they call a “fundamental change in our culture normalizing homosexual behavior.”

The Windy City Times reports on other anti-gay marriage demonstrations yesterday:

For the fourth week in a row, demonstrators yielding signs, banners and speakers faced off over SB 10, a bill that would bring equal marriage to Illinois. The day saw three different demonstrations, organized by anti-gay group the Illinois Family Institute (IF). Groups of pro-LGBT counter protesters confronted them at two of the rallies. In Aurora, demonstrators protested outside the office of Rep. Stephanie Kifowit. At the height of that protest, approximately 200 demonstrated against same-sex marriage, while 55 had come to show support for the bill. In Chicago Heights, approximately 60 came to show opposition for the bill, while about 15 demonstrated support for it. That group was targeting Democrat Anthony DeLuca.